EP0681412B1 - Control unit for intracanal hearing aids - Google Patents

Control unit for intracanal hearing aids Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0681412B1
EP0681412B1 EP95830177A EP95830177A EP0681412B1 EP 0681412 B1 EP0681412 B1 EP 0681412B1 EP 95830177 A EP95830177 A EP 95830177A EP 95830177 A EP95830177 A EP 95830177A EP 0681412 B1 EP0681412 B1 EP 0681412B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
control unit
apt
circular opening
battery
closure plate
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP95830177A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0681412A3 (en
EP0681412A2 (en
Inventor
Vittorio Giannetti
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Coselgi SpA
COS EL GI SpA
Original Assignee
Coselgi SpA
COS EL GI SpA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Coselgi SpA, COS EL GI SpA filed Critical Coselgi SpA
Publication of EP0681412A2 publication Critical patent/EP0681412A2/en
Publication of EP0681412A3 publication Critical patent/EP0681412A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0681412B1 publication Critical patent/EP0681412B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H04R25/60—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles
    • H04R25/602—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of batteries

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an improvement in the closure plate and control unit of hearing aids which are located inside the auditory meatus of people who are hard of hearing, also called intracanal hearing aids.
  • hearing aids apparatuses for people with hearing problems have met with a radical transformation which regarded first the position of the apparatus.
  • the apparatus was placed in a specially made spectacles ear-piece, later it was located behind the pinna, not completely hidden from sight, and finally it was located inside the auditory meatus, in a position in which it is practically invisible.
  • the apparatuses internal to the auditory meatus, or intracanal apparatuses, have then undergone a greater and greater miniaturization tending to make them less and less visible.
  • This kind of apparatuses comprises a generally cone-shaped hollow body, moulded with well-known techniques to the internal shape of the auditory meatus of the person for whom the hearing aid is intended, a closure plate for the opening of said hollow body and a control unit usually provided with an opening for the microphone, a cavity for the volume control potentiometer and a seat for the battery supplying the electronic circuits of amplification.
  • a control unit usually provided with an opening for the microphone, a cavity for the volume control potentiometer and a seat for the battery supplying the electronic circuits of amplification.
  • the contacts In the seat for the battery, closed by a proper small cover, are then contained the contacts whereby the power produced by the battery is carried.
  • These contacts function also as an ON-OFF switch according to the position of the small cover which controls the position of the battery with regard to said contacts, acting resiliently on the battery.
  • Patent application WO86/06919 discloses a control unit containing the battery and the electronics of the device.
  • the control unit is detachable fixed to the plate by means of a groove with rounded bottom combined with an elastic tooth which fits into a notch made on the diametrally opposite side. Fastening of the control unit to the plate occurs with a resilien snap action.
  • Patent US4584437 discloses a hearing aid having a plate to which the electronic control is integrally connected.
  • the battery cover is made in such way that it can easily be gripped by the fingers of an operator.
  • the applicant aims at providing an even smaller control unit housed inside an opening in the closure plate.
  • a control unit for an intracanal hearing aid having the features of claim 1.
  • the unit according to the invention is so shaped and structured as to house only a portion of the battery, namely the central portion, while both "polar" portions thereof are located in the above-mentioned cylindrical opening on the closure plate, which has the right size to receive the so-called "button” battery usually employed in this kind of hearing aids.
  • This structure besides permitting a further reduction in the size of the unit, reduces the complexity of the latter as well, making it easier the moulding thereof. Indeed, the abutting surface against which the small cover of the unit rests, and by which it is supported, corresponds to the edge of the opening housing the unit, so that said small cover functions also as a closure both for the unit and the battery.
  • the contacts for programming the amplification circuits with regard to the tone are also contained. Owing to this arrangement, to effect the above-mentioned programming it will be sufficient to open the small cover and connect the programming computer to the internal circuit through the above-mentioned contacts.
  • the small cover is also used as a grip for the fingers, in order to facilitate the insertion in place and removal of the hearing aid.
  • the small cover When partially open, the small cover can be removed from the unit thanks to the prismatic shape of the pivot pins which, in said position, can be removed from their seats.
  • control unit MC (represented in exploded view in Fig.5) comprises a lower holding element 10 and a small cover 30. This unit is intended to be received inside an opening APT on closure plate PC of the body of hearing aid TSI, which body is represented in dashed lines in Figs. 7, 8 and 9.
  • Closure plate PC has a lenticular shape the thicker portion of which corresponds to opening APT (Fig.6).
  • Lower element 10 has a section 11 overhung by a "castle-shaped" portion 12 provided with a face 13, shaped like a cylinder portion, having a rounded lower section, as referred to by 14. At the base of lower section 14 of face 13 a closed bottom circular seat 15 is formed, provided with an inclined section opposite to face 13.
  • Upper section of castle-shaped portion 12 gets narrower on both sides, as referred to by 18A and 18B, and presents a seat 19 on the top, for housing potentiometer PZ, and an opening 20 for the microphone, as is usual with regard to intracanal hearing aids.
  • pivot pins 31A, 31B of small cover 30 are located.
  • the prismatic section of pivot pins 31A, 31B permits their engagement and disengagement from the above-mentioned seats.
  • circular seat 15 there has been housed a trident-shaped contact 23 for the negative pole of battery BT.
  • the lateral portions of contact 23 are provided with two extensions 23A, 23B, directed downward.
  • Resilient central finger 24 of contact 23 is slightly raised so as to exert an upward resilient bias on the battery which rests thereon.
  • Lateral extensions 23 find their housing in matching grooves 25A, 25B, opening downwards and located in two opposite portions of circular seat 15.
  • a rather large groove or slot 26 is provided, intended to receive central tongue 27 of contact 28 for the positive pole of battery BT.
  • Contact 28 is provided with two extensions 27A, 27B, directed downward.
  • Control unit MC is provided with fastening elements intended to operate concurrently with their matching portions formed in opening APT of closure plate PC in order to fix the unit in the full inserted position.
  • Said fastening elements comprise two round washers 50A, 50B (Figs. 3, 4, 9) each having a cut off portion 51A, 51B and a diametral slit 52A, 52B that is parallel to the edge of the respective cut off portion.
  • Plane seats 28A, 28B extend on both sides with a "cut" 29A formed in body of castle-shaped portion 12, being each washer inserted in said cut (Fig.4).
  • plane seats 28A, 28B are level with a corresponding step 53 which has been formed in opening APT, so that each washer 50A, 50B, inserted in cut 29A and rotating on the respective plane seat 28A, 28B, can engage under said step.
  • Round washers 50A, 50B are so shaped as they do not prevent the insertion of control unit MC in opening APT when cut off portions 51A, 51B correspond with straight cuts 29C, 29D of plane seats 28A, 28B (Fig.4).
  • washers 50A, 50B are rotated by an angle of 180° by means of a small screwdriver inserted in slits 52A, 52B so as to bring their round-shaped portions to project from corresponding straight cuts 29C, 29D. In this position washers 50A, 50B engage under step 53, thereby locking control unit MC inside opening APT.
  • small cover 30 is joined to castle-shaped portion 12 by means of prismatic pivot pins 31A, 31B thereof, which are received in their relative seats, similarly shaped and formed in portions 18A, 18B.
  • Small cover 30 has an essentially circular flat portion 38 presenting a cut off section 32 which forms two facing lugs 33A, 33B.
  • a corresponding pivot pin 31A, 31B projects from each lug 33A, 33B.
  • a shallow cavity 39 is formed wherein crowned rim 36 snaps when in the closed-cover position (Fig.8).
  • the characteristic feature which distinguishes the present invention from control units of the previous technique is that the elongated body of the unit houses only the central portion of the battery, while the polar sections thereof project from open sides 48 of castle-shaped portion 12 and portion 11 to be received in circular opening APT of closure plate PC.
  • the invention provides a control unit for intracanal hearing aids which is characterized by an extremely reduced size, an easy moulding process and a great efficiency that is not possible to find in the units presently available.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Battery Mounting, Suspending (AREA)
  • Prostheses (AREA)
  • Headphones And Earphones (AREA)
EP95830177A 1994-05-02 1995-05-02 Control unit for intracanal hearing aids Expired - Lifetime EP0681412B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITRM940268 1994-05-02
ITRM940268A IT1272233B (it) 1994-05-02 1994-05-02 Perfezionamento nel modulo di comando delle protesi acustiche destinate ad essere alloggiate nel canale uditivo delle persone menomate nell'udito o protesi intracanale

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0681412A2 EP0681412A2 (en) 1995-11-08
EP0681412A3 EP0681412A3 (en) 2004-05-06
EP0681412B1 true EP0681412B1 (en) 2006-12-20

Family

ID=11402508

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95830177A Expired - Lifetime EP0681412B1 (en) 1994-05-02 1995-05-02 Control unit for intracanal hearing aids

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0681412B1 (es)
DE (2) DE69535343T2 (es)
ES (1) ES2279509T3 (es)
IT (1) IT1272233B (es)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7738668B2 (en) 2002-03-07 2010-06-15 Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc. Electrical contact arrangement for hearing instruments
DK1439735T3 (da) * 2004-03-10 2006-11-13 Phonak Ag Hus til höreapparat eller hörehjælpeudstyr
DE102007059723A1 (de) 2007-12-12 2009-06-18 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Hörvorrichtung mit Batterieklappenmodul
DE102007061591B4 (de) * 2007-12-20 2009-10-29 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Energiespeichermittel-Haltevorrichtung mit abgedeckten Ladekontakten, Gehäusemodul und zugehöriges Hörgerät

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3379710D1 (en) * 1982-01-27 1989-05-24 Coselgi Spa Improvements in hearing aids of the type intended to be fitted in the external auditory meatus of the user
DE8317845U1 (de) * 1983-06-20 1984-11-29 Siemens AG, 1000 Berlin und 8000 München Hoergeraet
CH662026A5 (de) * 1984-02-21 1987-08-31 Gfeller Ag In-dem-ohr-hoergeraet.
DE3425211C1 (de) * 1984-07-09 1985-08-22 Hans-Jürgen 4900 Herford Burkamp Hoergeraet
IT1209958B (it) * 1985-05-09 1989-08-30 Coselgi Spa Perfezionamento nelle piastre esterne delle protesi acustiche intracanale

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0681412A3 (en) 2004-05-06
DE69535343D1 (de) 2007-02-01
ES2279509T3 (es) 2007-08-16
DE681412T1 (de) 1997-06-26
IT1272233B (it) 1997-06-16
ITRM940268A1 (it) 1995-11-02
ITRM940268A0 (it) 1994-05-02
DE69535343T2 (de) 2007-07-12
EP0681412A2 (en) 1995-11-08

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